2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. ON MAY 25, 2008, WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN ACCELERATING FASTER THAN NORMAL. THE CONTACT HAD TO MERGE OUT OF TRAFFIC. SHE COULD NOT FEEL THE BRAKES WORKING AND SPED THROUGH A STOP SIGN. SHE DROVE INTO A PARKING LOT TO AVOID CRASHING INTO OTHER VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED WHEN IT CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE BODY SHOP TO REPLACE THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND HEADLAMP. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT AN INVESTIGATOR WOULD INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE. THEY ARE CURRENTLY STATING THAT DUE TO THE BODY WORK THAT WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE, THEY WILL NOT INVESTIGATE THE ACCELERATION FAILURE, ONLY THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAS A BACK INJURY THAT WAS AGGRAVATED DUE TO THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 24,000.

I OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU, I HAVE EXPERIENCED ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS A NO START INCIDENT, TWICE THE CAR WAS TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITIES WHERE VARIOUS COMPONENTS WERE CHANGED AFTER THE CAR STARTED RIGHT UP. THIS MOST RECENT INCIDENT HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY AT HOME AND, I DECIDED TO THOROUGHLY CHECK OUT THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE REPLACE VARIOUS COMPONENTS ON THE CAR AND SPENT UPWARDS OF 250.00 IN PARTS AND EVEN AFTER THAT, ONCE I GOT THE CAR RUNNING AGAIN I HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND A VERY ROUGH IDLE. SO, I TOOK THE CAR TO A GARAGE TO HAVE IT SCANNED FOR FAULT CODES. NOW, I HAVE DISCOVERED A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH (FAULT CODE U1000) HAS BEEN BEHIND THESE INCIDENTS. AND, IN READING VARIOUS INTERNET FORUMS/DISCUSSION BOARDS, I AM NOT ALONE!! (CHEVROLET IS WELL AWARE OF THIS DEFECT !!) THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN THE PASSIVE THEFT SYSTEM ON GENERAL MOTORS CARS. THERE SHOULD BE A NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AND SUBSEQUENT RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM REMEDIED. THE DEALERS ARE GETTING 300-350.00 PER REPAIR AND MOST TIMES THIS PROBLEM RE-OCCURS. I WANTED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION AS I AM ABOUT TO SPEND 300.00 PLUS AT MY LOCAL CHEVROLET SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE MY FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED. THE NEW ONE MUST BE "PROGRAMMED" TO YOUR VEHICLE AND ONLY A CHEVROLET DEALER CAN DO THIS. PLEASE RENDER ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN IN THIS MATTER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. .....................................CHRIS MERCKX *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65-70 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. HE COASTED SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS OFF, HE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND IT RELEASED. AFTER RESEARCHING RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT REALIZED THAT HIS FAILURE WAS IDENTICAL TO THAT DESCRIBED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V528000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. AS OF JUNE 10, 2008, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000. UPDATED 07/08/08. *BF UPDATED

ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WHEN IT STARTED GETTING HUMID, I WOULD BE DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I WOULD BEGIN TO SPEED UP. I WOULD LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR, AND THE CAR WOULD CONTINUE TO GAIN SPEED. WHEN I TRIED TO COME TO A STOP, THE CAR STILL WANTED TO GO FORWARD, AND THE RPM WAS STUCK AT 1.5. I NEED TO STICK MY FOOT UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO LIFT IT UP, AS IF IT GETS STUCK. IT TYPICALLY DOESN'T DO IT IN THE WINTER MONTHS, BUT DOES IT ALL SUMMER LONG, ESPECIALLY ON HOT, HUMID DAYS. I'VE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH BLINKER NOISE: I WILL BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, AND FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON, I WILL HEAR THE NOISE IT MAKES WHEN SIGNALING. MY TURNING LIGHTS DON'T COME ON, BUT IT DOES MAKE THE NOISE AND HAS CONTINUED TO DO IT EXCESSIVELY FOR PERIODS OF 10 MINUTES OR LONGER. MY CAR HAS ALSO STARTED TO MAKE A DINGING NOISE, AS IF A DOOR WERE OPEN, AS I'M DRIVING ALONG....EXTREMELY ANNOYING!! *TR

I HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES ON THIS CAR AT 6,000 MILES. SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEM ON A YEARLY OCCURRENCE, AS WELL AS ROTORS AND WHEEL BEARINGS. THE BREAKS ALWAYS SOUND LIKE THEY ARE GRINDING AND VIBRATING. I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE ABS LIGHT COMING ON. IT HAS BEEN 7 MONTHS SINCE I HAD THE ROTORS REPLACED, AND I NEED NEW BREAKS AGAIN. *TR

THIS 2003 CHEVY MALIBU HAS A BAD REPUTATION ON ITS PASSLOCK SYSTEM. THE CAR COULDN'T BE STARTED WHEN I TURNED THE KEY. THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHTS WAS ON. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND THE THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEM KEEPS ACTIVATING FOR NO REASON. THE VEHICLE USE TO HAVE A PROBLEM STARTING AND NOW HAS STARTED DYING ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM BUT CHEVROLET REFUSES TO DO A RECALL. IT IS GOING TO CAUSE SOMEONE TO CRASH. IT COSTS ANYWHERE FROM $700.00 - $1,300.00 TO DO THE REPAIRS AND MOST PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD IT. CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START BECAUSE THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM KEPT LOCKING THE VEHICLE. IT TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES (TEN MIN OR SO) FOR THE SYSTEM TO RE-SET AND ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO START. DEALERSHIPS ARE NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. COM- PLAINTS REGISTERED ON WWW.MYSTATS.COM/SAFETY STATION ARE NUMEROUS (AT LEAST 40) CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY STOP RUNNING WHILE DRIVING IN MOTION. GM SHOULD RECALL AND CORRECT THIS IMMEDIATELY. *TR

PASSIVE ANTI-THEFT WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO START THE CAR. WE SAT THERE FOR OVER 15 MINUTES. NO OTHER ODD HAD OCCURRED BEFORE THAT BUT SUDDENLY IT WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO START. *TR

YOU CAN ADD MY NAME TO THE LIST OF INDIVIDUALS SHELLING OUT AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPLACE WHAT APPEAR TO BE DEFECTIVE PARTS AND/OR MANUFACTURING DESIGNS IN THE 2003 CHEVY MALIBU. WE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN FEB 2003 AND REPAIR COSTS TO DATE ARE IN EXCESS OF $2,000 AND THE CAR ONLY HAS 52,000 MILES ON IT. FIRST, THE BRAKES AND ROTORS NEEDED PLACED AFTER ABOUT 40,000 MILES (MOST OF WHICH WERE INTERSTATE DRIVING)...COST WAS OVER $300. NEXT, WE WERE GETTING THE CAR REPAIRED AFTER AN INCIDENT WITH A DEER AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT COOLANT WAS STARTING TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET...REPAIR COST ALMOST $1,000. FINALLY, MY WIFE WAS RECENTLY STRANDED BECAUSE THE FUEL PUMP FAILED...REPAIR COST $1,000. ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITHIN THE PAST 6 MONTHS. BY FAR THE MOST FRUSTRATION THING IS THAT ALL THESE ITEMS APPEAR TO BE VERY COMMON FAILURES WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL MADE BY CHEVROLET AND THERE HAS YET TO BE ANY RECALLS...VERY DISAPPOINTING. MY ENTIRE EXPERIENCE HAS CONTINUED TO SNOWBALL EVER SINCE WE HAD ISSUES WITH GETTING THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX ITEMS THAT WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. GENERAL MOTORS SEEMS TO BE MORE FOCUSED ON EARNING PROFITS THAT COMPETE WITH THE FOREIGN PRODUCERS RATHER THAN TAKING CARE OF THEIR CURRENT CUSTOMERS. IF THINGS DON'T CHANGE, THE COMPANY WILL HAVE VERY LIMITED REPEAT CUSTOMERS. *TR